Gunmen kill five cops, two bank officials in Kulgam; Hizb owns attack

Srinagar, May 1 : Five policemen including an officer and two bank officials were killed after suspected militants opened indiscriminate fire upon a JK Bank Van in Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Monday.

A police officer told news agency that a JK bank mobile van bearing registration number JK01P-9793 carrying cash in the southern district when suspected militants attacked it near Bombay village.

In the incident, five policemen including an Assistant Sub-Inspector of police and two JK bank officials have been killed, the official said.

He said that the gunmen before fleeing from the site decamped with the four service rifles from the slain cops, besides taking devices including some mobile phones. Soon after the incident, a joint team of army, SOG and CRPF have launched a hunt to nab the assailants. IGP Kashmir SJM Gillani said a militant namely Omar Majeed and his associates are behind the incident.

In a statement, Hizbul Mujahiden claimed responsibility for the attack. However it said that they killed five policemen and not bank guards. “They were killed by CRPF men,” it claimed and said that the attack was not aimed at looting cash.(GNS)